2008 UGA Recruiting Wish List/Synopsis

This blog continues the series of updates on the 2008 recruiting outlook by position for Georgia. UGASports.com guru Chad Simmons will undoubtedly provide a plethora of additional profiles to the ones he already has up on 2008 Georgia football recruiting targets after the 2007 class signs its letters of intent on Feb. 7th.

The names of Georgia targets will obviously change over the next few months. However, the AOL Fanhouse college football team Sites will stop being updated after Tuesday (the day before signing day), so we decided to post information now while we still can.

• Projected 2008 QB Returnees: Jr. Matt Stafford, Jr. Joe Cox, Sr. Blake Barnes, Rfr. Logan Gray

• Likely UGA QB Signees (0-1)

• Class of 2008 Early Top UGA QB Targets: Zack Thomason, Ford Lakin, Kyle Parker, Reid McCollum

• Synopsis: Mark Richt has said repeatedly that he likes to sign one quarterback in each recruiting class and the Bulldogs are the only team in the country to sign an Elite 11 quarterback selection in each of its last four recruiting classes, including players who are slated to sign letters of intent on Wednesday.

Georgia has to yet offer any quarterback prospects from the 2008 class. The Bulldogs will likely choose a select few to offer during the summer. Thomason is believed by many to be the best prospect in a down year for instate quarterbacks, while Texas prep product Lakin has popped up repeatedly on Georgia lists. Parker is leaning toward Clemson, while McCollum is the prep quarterback for Georgia superstar receiver commitment A.J. Green. Watch for some new names to appear on the recruiting radar at this position, with any potential signee likely camping at Georgia this summer.

With Matt Stafford a possibility to leave for the NFL after the 2008 season, Georgia would seem like a good fit for a talented quarterback in the 2008 class. That newcomer would surely redshirt in 2008 as a true freshman and would have only Logan Gray and players signed after him to compete with for the starting job as a third-year sophomore in 2010.

But Richt does not need to sign a quarterback in this class, so he will not offer a player who he does not think could eventually start for him. In that case, he would wait until the 2009 class when Georgia would be seriously considered by some of the top quarterback prospects in the nation.

Incidentally, with Joe Cox now apparently staying at Georgia for the long haul (although I think he may transfer to a smaller school for his senior season in 2009 if Stafford does not turn pro early), watch for Barnes, who is on track to graduate very early at UGA, to transfer before the end of his career for the opportunity to play.

• Early 2008 UGA Projected Signee: Thomason